How does therapy help?
Talk therapy is a unique and valuable way for you to work through your inner processes by verbalizing them to another person. There is value in being witnessed as you go through your process, and as a trained counsellor, I can help you to focus and deepen your insights.
One important goal of my therapy is to help you to better understand your emotions. There is little room for emotional expression in our fast-paced, individualistic modern society: anger, sadness and fear have been labelled as “bad” emotions, and it is very likely that you have been shamed or discouraged from having them. I am here to tell you that happiness is not the default emotion, and you cannot live authentically without leaving space for the full range of emotional experiencing.
Some specific skills therapy can provide are:
- Emotional management, including, but not limited to anger, jealousy, grief, and depression.
- Coping mechanisms to allow you to work through situations which typically cause you anxiety, fear, or avoidance.
- Stress-management techniques to apply to deal with stress within your everyday life, such as with your job and family.
- Skills and techniques to help you better navigate relationships, or to work through relationship troubles.
- Problem-solving skills for you to enact when you encounter issues that have caused you to shy away or back down, such as social situations or public speaking.
- Improving self-love, self-confidence, and body image.
- Improving communication, listening, and the ability to speak up for yourself.
- Understanding your own skills, strengths, and positive attributes and learning to quiet your inner negative critique.
- Finding a resolution to the issues that originally led you to therapy, such as having panic attacks, or being unable to sleep.
While the decision to begin therapy is an individual choice, in many regards it may be helpful for everyone. There are a wide variety of reasons to begin therapy ranging from a diagnosed mental illness to help managing daily stress or a transitional period of your life. It is your treatment plan that will vary based on your individual circumstances.
What to expect on your first visit?
Your first therapy session has two main goals:
1. Assess your circumstances
We will take the first meeting to assess your current circumstances. From there, we will be able to better determine what type of therapy is right for you, what it will entail, and what it will look like for you in terms of fitting it into your day-to-day life. In addition, I may provide you with actions to do outside of our therapy sessions, such as practicing a certain technique, to better serve your healing.
2. Build a relationship
The first session is about getting to know each other and establishing fit with one another. I’ll ask questions to understand your main issues, as well as your background, like your family, childhood, and work. But feel free to ask me questions too. We’ll build a supportive and honest relationship. A strong connection between us is key to your happiness and success in therapy.
Here’s what you can expect from our sessions:
- I’ll treat you with compassion, empathy, respect, and understanding.
- I’ll listen to you carefully and consider your thoughts and feelings.
- I’ll give you helpful techniques and information based on science to help with your mental health struggles.
- You’ll be in a safe, supportive, and private space.
- You’ll learn real strategies to make positive changes in your life.
Get started with Darren, today.
